New Mexico authorities began searchingJeffrey Epstein's formerZorro Ranch on Monday, probing unverified claims from newly releasedJustice Department filesthat two foreign girls were buried on the property. The operation, announced by the state Department of Justice, targets the 7,600-acre estate 30 miles south of Santa Fe.
The search of the former Jeffrey Epstein Zorro Ranch in New Mexico is actively underway, with New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez leading the investigation following the release of new, unredacted FBI files.
As of the latest reports, it is not yet clear whether the search has uncovered anything of interest or how long it is expected to continue.
The renewed focus on former Zorro Ranch stems in part from a 2019 email, included in the Justice Department files, that was sent to local radio host Eddy Aragon. The anonymous message alleged that 'somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G'.
The claim has not been verified, and it remains unclear how thoroughly, if at all, law enforcement examined it before the latest renewed interest in Epstein.
Aragon has previously told CNN he believes the email came from someone who worked at the ranch, although he has refused to name who he thought the person was, and that an attempt to reply to the sender bounced back. According to the Justice Department documents, he forwarded the message to a redacted email address four days after receiving it and later took it to a local FBI office.
Following the reopening of the state investigation, Aragon said he spoke for around 30 minutes with officials from the New Mexico Department of Justice, providing them with his recollections and the correspondence he had retained.
Stephanie Garcia Richard, the state's commissioner of public lands, wrote to the Department of Justice last month urging a formal investigation into the claims set out in the email and into wider allegations about Epstein's time at the ranch.
She told CNN that the special investigative office of the New Mexico DOJ contacted her for background on how state trust lands are managed and on documents her agency had released in 2019.
Richard also said this week that the New Mexico State Land Office has granted the Department of Justice a right of entry to the state‑owned portions of the ranch for 180 days, with an option to extend that period if needed.
Source: International Business Times UK
